The Best POS Systems for Cafes in 2025

After researching and testing several point of sale (POS) systems, we’ve found that Square is hands-down the best POS system for cafes. Not only does Square let you get started for free, but the provider’s app is ultra-intuitive and easy to navigate, making it a particularly safe bet for small cafes after a low learning curve. 

However, while Square is our best-rated all-rounder, Toast’s advanced hardware options and slick ordering features make it the best choice for medium-to-large cafes, especially those that serve high volumes of customers. 

The truth is, some POS systems are much better suited to cafes than others. From quick service settings to splash-proof hardware, we understand what factors matter the most to cafes, and we’ve ranked and reviewed the best cafe POS systems accordingly. Read on to learn how the best systems compare when it comes to industry-specific features, usability, support centres and more.

Best POS Systems for Cafes: Quick Overview

Check out the table below for a quick overview of the best POS systems for cafes:

1. Square: Best Overall Cafe POS System

If you’re after an affordable POS system for your cafe that doesn’t compromise on features, look no further than Square. Square lets you get started for completely free, and also offers affordable paid plans for larger cafes with more complex operations.

From automatic tip-sharing tools to kitchen display system (KDS) integrations, this POS system boasts a broad range of capabilities to help small cafes hit the ground running. 

The app-based POS also runs on a wide range of devices — from iPhones and iPads to Android tablets. By foregoing bulky hardware, it is able to fit nearly in any cafe counter, and can even be used to make sales outside of brick-and-mortar locations, whether it be a farmers’ market or pop-up stall.

Why we recommend Square for cafes

Square’s free software offers a great selection of features, without overwhelming users. Its menu and ordering features help simplify the ordering process by letting users create new menu items, add custom modifiers and log orders in a couple of taps.

These intuitive features are particularly useful for quick-service cafes under pressure to service customers as quickly as possible. 

Cafes are heavily dependent on tips, but calculating a gratuity can be a tedious and time-consuming process for workers. Unlike leading POS systems like Clover, Square lets you split tips automatically.

The POS also lets users customize the gratuity amount, choose whether to tax the gratuity, and set up percentages or fixed amounts for customers to choose from, giving staff full control over how they receive their tips.

While the POS doesn’t offer a dedicated training mode like Toast, Square’s software is also incredibly easy to get to grips with. When we tested it ourselves, we were able to log orders quickly and efficiently, and we were particularly impressed with how easy it was to perform tasks like seating guests and sending orders to the kitchen. 

Square is ideal for cafes on tighter budgets. Square’s free plan is surprisingly generous, letting cafes create full menus, apply discounts to products and access advanced insights without spending a cent. Upgrading is also quite affordable, with its $69 per month Plus plan unlocking a raft of powerful tools from live sales reporting to 24/7 customer support.

Our experience with Square

We were impressed with how easy Square’s software was to use when we tested it out ourselves. Square’s interface is extremely intuitive, and it didn’t take us long to get to grips with logging orders and processing payments. Every time we struggled to locate features, we were able to identify them quickly by using the provider’s useful search function. 

Its learning curve was in stark contrast to POS systems like Epos Now, which are clearly designed for experienced users, rather than beginners using it for the first time. 

Our experience wasn’t perfect, however. We encountered some glitches when it came to syncing the menu items and customizing the table plan. We also found some processes — like cancelling items or adding users — to be unnecessarily repetitive. All in all, these were just minor inconveniences, though, and shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for most cafes.

Are there any downsides to Square?

While there’s no denying Square is great value for money, it does miss out on some key features offered by other established POS systems. The system lacks cost versus profit features for one, making it harder for managers to effectively manage profitability. 

The POSs inventory management features aren’t as granular as many of its competitors, either. The system doesn’t offer recipe and ingredient-level tracking, making it harder for servers to track the exact qualities of raw ingredients used and prevent over portioning. 

If you’re interested in tracking perishable items to avoid wastage, you can access this function through third-party integrations like MarketMan or Apicbase. However, if you’d rather manage advanced inventory controls in-house, we’d recommend using Epos Now instead.

2. Toast: Best for Mid-Size and Large Cafes

Toast is a versatile POS that’s ideal for cafes with complex operations. The Android-based system offers a bounty of hospitality-focused features at affordable price points, and even lets businesses get started for free with its pay-as-you-go Starter Kit.

The POS really comes into its own when it comes to inventory management, with the system offering advanced stock controls like ingredient-level tracking and automatic re-ordering, to help cafes of all sizes keep costs under control.

Why we recommend Toast for cafes

Toast POS hardware was specifically designed for hospitality businesses. Whether you opt for Toast’s Flex Terminal with a Guest Display, or a Toast Go Handheld POS, all devices are spill and heat resistant, making them ideal for busy cafe environments.

Toast’s open view ordering workflow also helps users take orders quickly and efficiently. The feature displays items and modifiers in one clear view, and lets you select them in any order. This simplifies the ordering process for servers, enabling them to log complicated orders as quickly as guests are ordering.

You’ll also get access to sophisticated inventory controls, like low and no stock alerts. Users can set a minimum stock level for products or individual ingredients, and be alerted when levels are running low. These warnings are especially valuable for cafes, as they can help managers keep stockouts or overstocking to a minimum. 

After you’ve conducted an inventory count, Toast’s system can also automatically generate an order guide and draft purchase for you. This helps you ensure that orders are placed on time, while saving cafe staff the time and energy of restocking manually. 

When we tested out Toast’s software ourselves, we were particularly impressed with its drag-and-drop floor plan feature. Toast’s customizable floor plan feature allows managers to digitally recreate the physical layout of their venue on the POS screen.

You’re able to pre-select icons for tables and drop them onto the canvas using its intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. The table plan can be changed at any time, too, lending itself well to cafes that host events or regularly switch up their layout. 

Our experience with Toast

We were able to hit the ground running when we used Toast. Its frontend is functional and intuitive, and it didn’t take us long for us to access all key features. The system also uses a clean uncluttered interface, making it easy for us to log orders, and add custom modifiers quickly.

Toast’s backend took us slightly more time to navigate, however, due to its complex functionality. While this wouldn’t pose an issue for established cafes, it does make the POS slightly less beginner-friendly than alternatives like Clover and Square.

Are there any downsides to Toast?

Toast falls behind competitors when it comes to customer support. The provider lacks a 24/7 live chatbot, making it harder for users to resolve quick and simple queries. While phone support is available round-the-clock, callers can be subject to wait times, making the option less convenient for busy cafes serving high-volumes of customers.

Also, since Toast is an Android-based system, it won’t be a good fit for cafes looking to integrate a system with iOS hardware, like iPhones or iPads. Toast encourages businesses to use its custom-build proprietary hardware too, making it harder for businesses to save money by using existing Android tablets.

3. SpotOn: Best For Team Management

SpotOn is a robust POS system that even gives front runner Square a run for its money on value. The POS lets you get started with a hardware setup for completely free, only charging transaction fees on each sale.

SpotOn also excels when it comes to employee management. The system’s Teamwork feature allows managers to streamline labor-related tasks without relying on external software, making it a solid option for cafes with large teams.

What makes SpotOn one of the best POS systems for cafes?

SpotOn’s pricing is transparent, and affordable. The provider’s Quick Start plan gives you access to the 15″ SpotOn Station, guest-facing display stand, and more hardware accessories without charging any up-front fees.

This entry-level tier also offers core POS features like ordering, menu management and basic reporting for free, making it an accessible option for single-location cafes with limited budgets.

While the Quick Start plan is ideal for your smaller venues, if you’re in need of more advanced functionality, you can upgrade to its $55 per month POS essentials package, or build a custom POS plan based on your unique needs.

The system lets you set up discounts easily, and choose between different options like as a percent off, or a dollar off.  This makes it easy for cafes to run special promotions to drive up sales, whether it be for half price pastries or discounted drip coffee.

SpotOn really comes into its own when it comes to employee management. The systems built-in Teamwork module goes beyond basic clocking in and out features, letting managers use a drag-and-drop interface to create and publish schedules, and simplify the payment process by integrating directly with over 20 payroll providers.

The POS even offers a dedicated mobile app for employees, giving them a way to view upcoming shifts, swap shifts with co-workers, and request time off without having to message managers directly.

Our experience with SpotOn

During testing, we found we were able to easily access all relevant areas needed for setup. We also found SpotOn’s backend to be super intuitive and easy to use, and were able to access all the features we needed in a couple of taps.

The frontend wasn’t quite as streamlined, however. It required a few extra clicks to add items to an order compared with other POS systems. SpotOn also only offers a dark mode which didn’t have great visibility. While this shouldn’t be an issue for bars and dimly lit restaurants, we thought this could be a drawback for cafes that rely on speed.

Where SpotOn could improve

While SpotOn’s reliance on a purpose-built terminal makes it ideal for cafes interested in a more permanent countertop system, it’s less suitable for small businesses that prefer a simple tablet-based set-up.

SpotOn offers quite limited integration options, especially compared with competitors like Clover. This makes it harder for cafes to connect seamlessly with third-party apps to handle processes like advanced accounting or niche inventory tracking.

4. Clover: Best For Industry-Leading Hardware

Clover is a great option for large, established cafes with high transaction volumes, due to its streamlined ordering features and state-of-the-art hardware. In fact, with its terminals boasting fingerprint logins and customizable dual customer display screens, it offers the best hardware out of any POS system we researched.

Why we recommend Clover for cafes

Clover shines when it comes to hardware. Whether you opt for one of its all-in-one countertop systems, Clover Solo or Duo, or a mini handheld terminal, all of Clover’s hardware is purpose-built, modern and ultra-responsive. 

The provider’s fingerprint login helps staff access the POS system seamlessly, which is especially useful in fast-paced environments like cafes where every second counts. Clover also offers the best customer-facing display we tested. Unlike with competitors Epos Now and Zettle, the screen can accept customer payments and display special promotions, maximising order efficiency and helping cafes secure even more sales.

Clover’s advanced stock controls help to make inventory management a breeze. Unlike systems like Epos Now and Zettle, Clover offers a modifier groups tool that lets you break down single menu items into individual, trackable components. This is a game-changer for cafes selling composite products like coffees, sandwiches or cocktails. 

The POS also leverages inventory data to provide you with actionable financial insights. Its cost-profit features help cafe managers figure out how much money they make on every item they sell. All you do is provide Clover with the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for each ingredient or item and it calculates the rest.

Our experience with Clover

Clover’s interface was quick and easy to navigate. Whether we were selecting items from the order screen or splitting the bill, managing tasks was straightforward, positioning it well for busy cafe staff managing highly specialized orders. 

Clover’s bulk import feature helped us upload products quickly too, eliminating the time associated with handling the task manually. 

However, while we were really impressed with the system’s frontend, its backend was slightly less intuitive. It took us quite a lot of time to locate basic features, and handling loyalty, promotions and discount capabilities felt a bit clunky and disjointed. 

The steeper learning curve of Clover’s web dashboard shouldn’t be a concern for users with prior POS experience, but it may be off-putting to beginners.

Are there any downsides to Clover?

Unlike rivals Square and Toast, Clover doesn’t offer automatic tip features in its core software, which could pose a problem for full-service cafes. Therefore, unless you add this functionality using Clover’s third-party app store, cafe staff will be required to calculate the gratuity manually.

If budget is your top concern, Clover isn’t the most wallet-friendly option either. A standard setup, like the Clover Station Duo can set you back at least $1,800, and with no free plan available, it’s a difficult investment for smaller cafes looking to avoid upfront fees.

If you’re serious about keeping overheads as low as possible, we’d recommend opting for Square or Zettle by PayPal instead. 

5. SumUp: Excellent Value Cafe POS System

If you manage a small cafe or are planning to use a POS for the first time, SumUp should definitely be on your radar. SumUp lets you get started for free, and the system is incredibly easy to use, with a frontend experience so intuitive that it rivals our frontrunner, Square.

Why we recommend SumUp for cafes

SumUp’s POS Lite plan doesn’t charge monthly fees; businesses are only charged a fraction of each sale. This is a huge win for cafes on tight budgets, as well as those who would like to avoid getting trapped in long-term contracts. 

Another perk of SumUp is that it’s extremely easy to get started with. Both its frontend and backend are clean, minimal, and simple to navigate. From adding products to logging orders, most tasks can be completed in a couple of taps, making it ideal for busy coffee shops where speed is critical.

Like Square, the POS lacks a dedicated training mode. But due to its stripped-back design and ultra-low learning curve, this shouldn’t pose an issue when it comes to getting new staff up-to-speed with the system. 

While SumUp isn’t the most feature-packed POS on this list, it does offer useful capabilities for cafes. For example, users can stay on top of inventory levels by triggering low-stock alerts for popular items, like coffee beans. The system can also seamlessly integrate with your online store, allowing you to manage in-person and online orders from one centralized platform. 

Our experience with SumUp

Our experience with SumUp was a bit of a mixed bag. Overall, it’s frontend interface is simple, clear, and responsive, suggesting the platform would be ideal for beginners or smaller businesses that prefer a minimal design. We also found it easy to complete basic tasks like managing tables, cancelling payments or editing orders.

However, navigating its backend felt unnecessarily clunky, making it harder for us to find things like reports, bulk imports or user settings. We weren’t a fan of its layered sidebar menus, either, which could cover up other navigation elements.

Are there any downsides to SumUp?

SumUp lets you accept tips on card payments but, like Clover, the POS doesn’t offer automatic tip management tools. This could be a sticking point for cafes relying heavily on tips, which want to avoid the time-consuming work associated with distributing them manually. 

The POS doesn’t let you create physical gift cards either, though it does support the sale and redemption of its digital gift cards (SumUp Gift Cards).

Buying Guide: What to Look For in a Cafe POS System

From dealing with morning rushes, to managing ultra custom orders, cafes are unique hospitality environments that require a POS to match. To ensure your POS is capable of meeting your cafe’s unique needs, here are some features to look out for:

• Order modifiers: Cafes are experts at managing highly complex orders, whether it be an extra hot flat white or a latte with dairy substitutes. By ensuring your POS has intuitive order modifying features, it’ll be easier for your staff to log in custom orders quickly and accurately, rather than entering them manually or relying on memory. 
• Ingredient level inventory management: If you’re serious about keeping wastage to a minimum, advanced POS features like ingredient tracking are a must. These tools allow you to monitor stock at a level so you can use up older items before they expire, while ensuring your customers always get their preferred items. 
• Marketing tools: If you’re looking to expand your base, choosing a POS with strong marketing features or integrations is a non-negotiable. Tools like loyalty programs, personalized offers and email campaigns are all designed to help you turn first-time visitors into regulars. 
• Kitchen display system (KDS) integration: Large cafes with bustling back of houses will be better off trading in inefficient paper tickets for a streamlined KDS. By integrating directly with your POS, the technology helps workers track orders in real-time, improving communication and reducing time-consuming human errors.
• Online and mobile ordering integration: With customers prioritising convenience more than ever, giving them a way to order ahead from their phones could be a useful way to unlock more sales. Integrating this service to your POS directly also allows staff to stay focused on in-store service during peak takeaway and delivery hours. 

How We Test POS Systems for Cafes